Victim comes forward after being raped by a man in Poole
A victim courageously came forward and reported what happened to her after she was raped by a man who was known to her in Poole.
On two occasions in September and November 2022, the victim – a woman aged in her 60s – was raped at an address in the town.
In April 2023, the victim bravely came forward to report what had happened and an investigation was carried out by detectives.
The defendant – 63-year-old Stephen Dorris of Poole – was arrested in June 2023 and interviewed.
Both the victim and defendants mobile phones were examined and following liaison with the Crown Prosecution Service, Dorris was charged with two counts of rape.
Dorris, a British national who gave his self-defined ethnicity as white British, was found guilty following a trial at Bournemouth Crown Court.
He was sentenced on Tuesday 11 August 2026 at the same court to seven years in prison and made the subject of an indefinite restraining order.
Detective Constable Thomas Norman, of BCP CID, said: “I would like to praise the victim in this case for coming forward and reporting what happened to her.
“Her bravery has ensured that a sexual offender has been put behind bars and will face the consequences of his actions.
“We will always thoroughly investigate a report of a sexual offence, even if it is not reported at the time when the incident occurred. We are here to support you and listen.”
If you have been a victim of rape or sexual assault, and you want to report directly to the police, please call 101 and ask to be put in contact with a specially trained police officer. Always dial 999 in an emergency. Alternatively, you can contact The Shores Sexual Assault Referral Centre on 0800 970 9954.
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